Friction control for casing spinning apparatus



Nov. 17, 1931. w. w. FOSTER FRICTION CONTROL; FQR CASING SPINNING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 1, 1329 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY Patented Nov. 17, 1931 WALTER W. FOSTER, OF WIOHITA FALLS, TEXAS FRICTION" CONTROL roe cAsINe SPINNING ArrARA'rUs Application filed February 1, 1929. Serial No.'336,811.

This invention relates to well drilling equipment and it has particular reference to what is generally known to the art as pipe spinning apparatus, that is to say, apparatus designed for the purpose of minimizing the manual effort and danger incident to running and pulling casing or tubing sections, and the invention has for its principalobject, with the foregoing in View, to provide apparatus of extremely simple and durable nature, operating off the draw works line shaft by frictional engagement of two elements in control of a line, which latter is utilized to impart a series of rapid rotary movements to the pipe or casing with little manual effort either by imparting the primary rotation in setting up casing by entwining the line about the pipe in the conventional manner or by tightening the joints by connecting the line to the tongs and applying a series of short hitches thereto.

The invention further aims among its objects to provide casing spinning apparatus in which the power mechanism is capable of ready control of the operator at all times, and by reason of which, there is little or no danger of mishap, such as entangling the operators in the. line, shearing the threads of the pipes and joints, which are very prominent disadvantages in the present equipment designed and used for setting up and breaking out casing and tubing.

Yet another and important object of the invention resides in the ease and readiness in which the equipment embodying the invention may be applied for actual operation, such being possible without boring unnecessary holes in the jack post, upon which the invention is designed to operate.

l/Vith the foregoing objects as paramount, the invention has further reference to its salient features of construction andarrangement of parts to become manifest as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying draw1ngs,where1n;

Figure 1 represents a fragmentary view of the jack post of a draw works, showing the invention 'operatively assembled thereon.

Figure 2 is a side view of the jack post, showing an end View of the draw Works eratively assembled.

line shaft, cat head andfriction elements op- Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectionalview of the supporting bracket on line Hof Figure 1.

igure 5 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the supporting bracket on lines 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary View of the supporting bracket plate, showing in detail the positioning bushings for the bracket.

Figure 7 is a horizontal cross sectional view of Figure 6, and

Figure 8 is a sectional view on line 8-8 of Figure 3.

Contmumg now more 1n detail with the invention, it may be here stated that heretofore, in setting up or pulling the casing and tubinga'ssemblies the joints were assembled by placing a few turns of manila rope about the conventional cat head operating on the line shaft, the other end of the rope be-' ing similarly entwined about the joint of pipe in the well.

As the elevator lowers a new section down upon the joint, the several turns of rope are slipped upon the end of the section and operators at either end of the rope pull in opposite directions to tighten the latter both around the make-up cat head and the casing. Obviously'the casing section is spun into position in the joint, whereupon another section is lifted into position for another operation after having applied the tongs in the usual manner.

This method of spinning in sections is a other section be substituted. Another disadvantage in this old practice resides in the element of danger always present in getting an operator entangled in the ing him, sometimes fatally.

rope and inquir- The present invention therefore affords a means by which the line is always under the operators control, and is so devised that in any emergency, such as improper seating of the section in the joint, entanglement of an operator, if possible in the present arrange ment, or any like incidentthe operator may instantly release" friction onatheropie andrelieve the applied power.

Accordingly, reference is made to Figures 1 and 2, showing fragmentar-ily'the conventional jack post 1 and draw works line shaft 2 with the make-up cat head 3 fixe'd'uponthe end thereof by meansofnkey i. It. will. be noted that the fact that the invention operates 011 the lineshaftQ .does not .in any way-affect the proper function of thecathead, ors'any other element for that matter, in view-'oftlie fact that a special cast cat head is provided having an .inner flange -5, whichhas-a peripheral V shapedchannel-incross-section corresponding with: which is a: friction wheel 6 thcrebelow, .having'as an;integralpartthereof a drum 7.

Affixed toandwoundaboutthe :drum Tis a line8.:whichlatter will'be againand more specifically referred to later.

V The object of the assemblyvis to 'bringthe friction wheel 6 into engagement with the V-channel'of the cat'headiflange'5=inrthe manner shown in dotted lines in Figure? and the motion ofthe cat head willrbetherieby impartedto the friction wheel" 6,:to" canse the =line'8 to =be'wound about: the drum 7.

Friction between :the wheel Grand flange 5 isobtained by means of. suitable asbestos brake-'band'material 9 disposed'in the EV'CllfiII- -nel'of the flange. It is intendedfthatthis material be in twocircular'pieces andriveted or otherwise suitably secured on eachangle of the channel,.buta there 'i-s-no de-finite. arrangement showni since this feature; involves no especial noveltyin theinvention; I

\Vith reference anow tozFigurei3; :the fric- 'tion wheel 6 =i s-"shown. as .beingrmountedupon a solid core 10, .with rollers :llzinterpOsed betaveenthe outer?peripheryofrrthis core and :the sinner: periphery of :thedrum. 'Thisarrangement allowsxthe'drum 7 ,.which i's an int egral part of "the friction-:whee'l 6, to freely rotate about the core 10, whichlatter'is heldagainst rotation' aswill" become apparent presently. The"corei10, as .may'be observed inFigureB, 'hassa fiangec12, .which re- 1 ta-ins ther0llers= 11iin1place Atapointsparal- 'zlelato the center of;tl1e"core.:10, as observed-in FigureB are .holes 13 and :14, thepurpose :of which willibe presently =made'rclear.

A- .plate 15 as an integralpart of anroperating: lex er16 is afiixediby. boltnl'? extending through the plate 15 andvinto holewl l in'the core 10, and it'is importantto'notethat the. pivotal: point of the friction w-heel 6, is eccentrically situated in order that: the rotating axis of the Wheel may beLdisplaced to bring the outer periphery thereof into engagement with the V channel without affecting rotation of the wheel.

' The oscillating pivot of the wheel 6 is formed by a short stationary shaft 18, integral with a bar 19, entering hole 13 of core 10 and capable of sliding movement in the bracket 20 by w-hich the apparatusis applied to the jack post 1, as apparent in Figures 1 and 2. Collars 21 are situated on the shaft 18,- opposmg thewheel 6 to maintain its position relative to they V7 channel of the flange 5, and'are held'securebysaid screws 22. By releasing these collarsthe friction wheel may be moved laterally to aline its periphery with theV'channelo'f the flange withlittle difficulty.- '1

Referring now to the bracket and adjustable bar 19, itmay be mentioned thatthe plate 20 is-designedto be-applied to the jack post immediately opposite the drilling drum shaft journal box (not shown) inorder that additionalholeswill not be'neoessary to'support the same; It is simply; necessary to remove the nuts from the-bolts supporting the said journal-box,:apply the plate in the manner shown in Figure 1 andr replace the nuts.

Itis sometimes the case however, that the holesiinthe plateQO do not: properly aline with the bolts-supporting: thev drum' shaft journal box, and'to avoiddifiiculty of'this nature, adevice, such as shownsin Figures6 and has bQQII'PIOVlClGtl, whlch conslsts of a bushing 23, of-a: thicknessequal to that of the plate 20, andhaving an opening 24 therein eccentrically disposed; In applying the plate 20, the bushings '23'are turnedto bring the'openingto alinedposition with the bolts supporting:the-journal box on the jack post atthe right of the:post-1.shown in FigureQ.

While Figure-dis only a: fragmentary view of: the plate20,xthereare several holes in the plate to receive boltspassing through the post 1' hence it is necessary to provide a bush ingas designated-bycharacter23 iii-Figure 6,

for each (of these holes. When one of the bolts is passed throughtthe opening 24in the bushing,the bushingmay be turned'in order that'tlieother bolts may-be inserted by alining the saidopeningc24; in each .of'the other bushings-to:receivethe'bolts. This feature is provided in order that uniformity of size and structure may be'carried out'in'the construct1on of the plate 20.

The-plate 20 has integraliribs 25, between whlch 1s received'the bar 19, which, as apparent'1n:F1gure 5 1S1 dove tailed in order that its movement WlllibQllllDltQd to the longitudin'al. A short latera'libar 26,'likewise dovetailed is idisposed across the channel in which the bar 19 is disposed, and through each of 't'hesesho'rt bars is threaded a screw-27, the

endseofwhich'abutthe ends of the bar 19. By anampulatlng these screws, the-bar 19 is moved 'longitudinally'to raise or lower the oscillating pivot of the frictional wheel 6, and thus cause the wheel 6 to be moved relative to the flange 5 of the cat head.

A spring 28 being attached to post 1 and the lever 16 to bring the latter upward to assure the disengagement of the friction wheel 6 and the flange 5 when inoperative.

In a companion application for Letters Patent filed February 1, 1929, Serial Nums ber 336,812, is shown the line assembly and the means co-operating with the present invention for cushioning or allowing the line to yield to the' strain thereupon in event the section is improperly seated in the joint. This assembly consists of a weight suspended upon the end of the line 8, after the latter has been threaded over a yieldingly sus pended sheave near the top of the derrick, not shown. To the weight is connected a short line, which latter is wound about the casing section being set up, and as the lever 16 is depressed to bring the friction wheel into engagement with the constantly moving flange 5, the line 8 is wound upon the drum 7 causing the said weight to ascend, the yielding support of the sheave equalizing the strain upon the joint as the weight rises.

While the elements above referred to are important in the proper operation of the invention herein shown, they have not been dealt with in great detail since they form the subject of other claims.

Manifestly the construction shown is capable of considerable modification and such modification as is considered within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered within the spirit of the invention.

hat is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for setting up and breaking out casing, the combination including a pair of rotary, inter-engaging elements arranged for relative movement and a mounting for one of said elements comprising a stationary channeled member and a bar disposed for sliding movement in the channel of said member and having an integral part for supporting one of said elements, and means bearing against either end of said bar and stationary relative to said channeled member whereby to effect adjustments of said bar and the element mounted thereon.

2. In an apparatus for setting up and breaking out casing, the combination including rotary inter-engaging elements, one of which is capable of movement relative to the other, a mounting for said movable element, said mounting comprising a channeled memher in a fixed plane at right angles relative to the rotating axis of said movable element, a bar slidingly mounted in the channel of said member and having a protuberance receiving said movable member, means for holding said bar normally stationary and means stationary relative to said channeled member for receiving said latter means 

